Downhill mountain biking is relentlessly fast, extremely dangerous, and not for the faint of heart. Same goes for Downhill Domination, which delivers more frantic speed thrills than most extreme games. It’s neither inaccurate nor an insult to call Downhill Domination “SSX on dirt.” Not only do players choose one of 14 characters and careen down 27 enormous international mountains while busting tricks, smacking opponents, and collecting power-ups, but the controls are nearly identical, too. All stunts are performed with the shoulder buttons plus Triangle as a modifier (and it’s not always comfortable). As you earn cash, you’ll upgrade your bike and unlock goodies. Downhill Domination features an incredible sensation of speed and a canted camera that will make you leave your stomach at the top of the mountain. Narrow trails, treacherous terrain, and the fast gameplay really ratchet up the tension—it’s hard to keep up, and you almost forget to do tricks in the mad scramble to stay upright. Avoiding polar bears, mountain goats, hikers, vehicles, and maybe even a sasquatch or two is all part of the frantic fun. Less enjoyable is the amazingly blatant product placement—bike brands like Trek and Specialized make sense, but while you pedal, billboards for online auction sites and energy bars peddle under the guise of earnable sponsorships. Gamers will tire of it quickly, along with the repetitive voice quips and lackluster music—whee, rap about bicycles! Action-sports junkies should at least rent Downhill Domination to experience its admirably difficulty and teeth-rattling sense of chaos. It’s not for the weak.
